Samford vs Calvin University

Samford University and Calvin University, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Samford, a private Christian university in Birmingham, Alabama, boasts a higher acceptance rate (78%) compared to Calvin's selective admissions (49%). Both universities excel in various academic disciplines, with Samford excelling in nursing, business, and education, while Calvin shines in engineering, computer science, and the natural sciences. Samford's student body is more diverse, with a higher percentage of female students and a larger international student population. Calvin, on the other hand, has a higher graduation rate (86%) and a strong emphasis on community service and faith-based learning. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more key differences and make an informed decision about which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Calvin University	Samford University
Overview
Location	Grand Rapids, Michigan	Birmingham, Alabama
Campus setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	4-1-4	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	86.0%	89.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Protestant	Baptist

Admission
Acceptance rate	75.1%	83.9%
Application fees	$35	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $35
SAT range	1120 - 1340	1100 - 1290
ACT range	24 - 30	23 - 29
Students submitting SAT score	61.0%	22.0%
Students submitting ACT score	24.0%	66.0%
Total number of applicants	3,986	4,217
Total number of admissions given out	2,992	3,537
Admitted students who chose to enroll	736	920
Yield rate	24.6%	26.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$52,840	$53,100
Average net price	$27,120	$31,871
Tuition	$37,990	$34,410
Room & board	$10,800	Room/dormitory: $6,150 Meal plan: $5,110
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	95.0% Average amount $24,410	99.0% Average amount $19,443
Students receiving federal student loan	43.0% Average amount $4,987	31.0% Average amount $5,320
Students taking out private loans	7.0% Average amount $16,620	6.0% Average amount $19,317

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,068 Men 47.1% Women 52.9%	3,607 Men 33.4% Women 66.6%
Graduate students	189 Men 38.1% Women 61.9%	2,151 Men 32.3% Women 67.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	73.0%
International students	11.7%	0.8%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	2,453	2,375
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Alabama Georgia Tennessee Texas Florida

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Education Engineering Theology	Health Professions Legal Profession Business Education Family and Consumer Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	77.3%	78.9%
Dropout rate	7.6%	20.9%
Transferred out	14.7%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,594 Year 2: $61,020 Year 3: $73,154 Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,088 Year 2: $65,188 Year 3: $71,772 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $55,940 Year 2: $57,564 Year 3: $62,400 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,498 Year 2: $57,770 Year 3: $60,645 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,593 Year 2: $45,980 Year 3: $53,866 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $54,275 Year 2: $60,878 Year 3: $51,938 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,034 Year 2: $32,382 Year 3: $44,640 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,528 Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: $39,008 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,756 Year 2: $31,133 Year 3: $37,976 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,469 Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: $36,953	Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $109,542 Year 2: $120,880 Year 3: $122,995 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $97,811 Year 2: $99,380 Year 3: $104,909 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $86,528 Year 2: $91,363 Year 3: $88,884 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,304 Year 2: $52,941 Year 3: $67,171 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,217 Year 2: $59,124 Year 3: $64,364 Law (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $47,785 Year 2: $48,667 Year 3: $61,547 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $52,967 Year 2: $54,851 Year 3: $57,875 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,355 Year 2: $54,948 Year 3: $54,480 Theological and Ministerial Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $37,947 Year 2: $39,585 Year 3: $46,442 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $44,337 Year 2: $43,638 Year 3: $46,369

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Samford vs Calvin University

Calvin University

Samford University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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